Name: Michael 

Graduation Year: 2025

Middle School: Seven Hills

Hometown: Concord

 

What advice would you give to 8th graders applying to high school? When choosing what high school you want to apply to, it's really important to look at various aspects of the school and see how those characteristics fit in with you as a person. You'll spend the next four years of your life at this school and in its environment. The academic aspects of the school are really important and are something that definitely needs to be considered when applying to a school. This can include the teachers at the school, as well as the offered classes. Extracurriculars are also crucial because they can affect your social experience significantly. They can be a great opportunity to find social connections between yourself and other students. Extracurriculars are also a great opportunity to expand your interests beyond those that you already have. If a school doesn't have a variety of choices then it can limit your experience. Eighth graders in the application process should always recognize the school that they truly reside with and see themselves in.

 

Campus Involvement: Throughout my freshman year I have been involved in sports such as Soccer and Basketball, in arts such as Jazz Band, and classes like Debate. All of these opportunities allow me to be amongst a variety of people with different interests, which is really good for developing various perspectives on life at CPS. Some students really just want to focus on music/art while other students are into sports. In my experience, being surrounded by students who all have different interests has helped me learn about their individual perspectives. CPS does a great job trying to mix students with others who don't necessarily share their same interests. Since I'm involved in the various aspects of CPS I think I have a good idea of the different student perspectives.

 

What has been your favorite class so far (and why)? My favorite class so far has been Physics. I loved my teacher. Her teaching style is really fun and she is always super involved in class activities. She does a great job of explaining physics concepts and is always open to meeting with students who need help which was something that really helped me throughout the year. She likes playing music when the class does labs which I think is pretty unique and a small thing that made me like the class even more.

 

What is your favorite thing about College Prep? My favorite thing about College Prep is the community. A huge reason why I felt included and welcomed at CPS is because of the students that are always willing to help. At other schools there is a stigma about upperclassmen and how they are mean or inhospitable towards lowerclassmen and ninth graders especially. This is not the case at CPS and its something that I am extremely grateful for. I love how I can come up to anyone with a question or a concern and I will always have a great conversation with literally any student. For me, the Basketball team was really welcoming and an experience I am so appreciative for. The team mostly consists of upperclassmen. Even at the tryout they were helpful and welcoming. Creating these connections helped me further in the year when needing advice since they too were once scared kids at a new school. The community at CPS is something truly unique and my favorite thing about the school for sure.